Billy_Lunch_Money wrote: Being as I'm a novice and probably work backwards compared to most writers (not that I'd call myself one yet)

If you write, you are a writer.

This is three separate entities. I save ideas as they occur to me on my phone, then migrate them to their own page when I'm ready to explore them. I generally write lyrics first and concentrate on keeping the structure consistent, makes it much easier when I get around to putting it to music. It is infinitely easier for me to write lyrics to fit an existing chord progression/melody if I have one. I assume that's probably the case for most writers, but I can't speak for them.
Oops, I forgot to answer the question, short answer is no, not really. I hear a melody for the Life is so grand... verse, but I'm pretty sure it's borrowed, and I just haven't ID'd it yet.